Cartload of cabin cartography

Here’s a list of seat maps for nearly every airline in the world from about.com. And if that’s not enough, check out seatguru.com which, in addition to even more seat maps, has travel-geeky things like noise-canceling headphone reviews.

$7 billion for bag zappers

The U.S. House and Senate have approved $7 BILLION worth of new airport security equipment which will make the screening  of checked bags almost completely automated according to USA Today. 

‘Key to the new system are bomb-detection machines built onto conveyor belts that can screen luggage 10 times faster than current systems that scan luggage piece by piece. The older machines are being strained by the 1.5 million bags checked each day at U.S. airports.

Louis Miller, executive director of Tampa International Airport, called the funding “extremely important.”

“We can go a long way in a hurry with that kind of money,” he said.’

Baggage blues

Here’s an overview of international baggage rules for international air travel from the worldly perspective of the International Herald Tribune’s Roger Collis. Judging from trends described in this story, traveling light is becoming more of a necessity than an option.

"Even then, she cannot fit everything into a one-quart bag"

An excellent story about liquid restrictions from today’s International Herald-Tribune includes lots of tips for women who carry on. Some highlights:

“Marcy McKenzie … has started asking dermatologists and dentists for one-ounce samples of creams, toothpaste and mouthwash. She has also collected empty prescription-drug containers from pharmacists that she refills with shampoo and hair gel.”

 “A friend … skirted the rule by wearing a push-up bra that lacks wires (so it does not set off security alarms) but includes a small pocket for gel inserts. By removing the inserts, Bos said her friend had enough space to stash hair-gel tubes.”

“So after the 3-1-1 restrictions were announced, he bought four toiletry kits at a local drugstore and stocked each one with about $15 worth of his favorite talcum powder, shaving cream, toothpaste, hair gel, face lotion and hand cream. He stashed the kits at the four Dallas hotels he stayed in most often …”

I still worry about unmarked containers - you never know when a screener will balk at them. BTW - You can buy almost anything in TSA-approved travel sizes here.